Chapter 16 (2/2)

After lunch, they went to the supermarket near campus for some shopping. He Luo insisted on buying slippers for Zhang Yuan. Recently, Shen Lie’s dorm found 11 sneakers - 7 of them of the left foot, 4 right. He just announced it this morning and it was fresh in her memory. “They share the shoes without concern. In case anyone has athlete’s foot, you might get infected. So don’t wear their slippers.”

“I’ll just pretend I didn’t hear that.” He Luo sighed. “But now you’re in Beijing so you have to listen to me.” She reached for a pair of dark blue slippers, gave its soles a pat. Turning around, she said, “Here. This is your reward for travelling through the night.”

“We’re all just concerned about you.” She stuck out her tongue.

“Ah? Who told you that?”

“But we met just that one time.”

“Really? What did she say?” Her heart felt warm knowing she had his family’s affirmation.

“Then why didn’t you tell me earlier!”

Future, what future? Looking at his back, He Luo giggled. In the daily necessities department, they looked at pots and pans, occasionally knocking some together. She joked around with Zhang Yuan, pretending to be a housewife.

Zhang Yuan turned around. “What are you doing there, all secretive?”

“Ha. I’ve eaten that. They lied to me saying it’s a new brand of biscuit,” Zhang Yuan said. “But why are you smiling so happily? Have you tried that before?”

Zhang Yuan shook his head.

Zhang Yuan sneered coolly.

“You’re disgusting.”

After unloading their shopping in the dorm, He Luo took Zhang Yuan to tour the campus. “The administrative buildings are very old but the scenery is good. The roads are very winding though.”

The two of them went to McDonalds and sat there until it was almost closing time. There were always a lot to talk about. Even if they have already shared anecdotes in their letters, they would bring it up again. He Luo liked seeing Zhang Yuan talk this way, with enthusiasm and spirit. She didn’t really pay attention to the specifics of what he had said. She just wanted to see him, and hear his clear voice.

Ye Zhi was waiting anxiously at the dorm entrance. When she saw He Luo and Zhang Yuan, she immediately smiled. “I’m worried you won’t come back.” She patted her chest and said, “I almost forgot that our dorm is responsible for the bicycles today. Those two wretches are not coming back. I thought I’m going to have to do it alone.”

“What do you mean?”

Zhang Yuan volunteered to tidy the bikes scattered across the road and carry them over to the shed. In the shadow, a boy was back-facing him holding a bike, blocking several others more. Zhang Yuan walked over and patted him on the shoulder. “Cla.s.smate, please move over.”

The pet.i.te girl in front of him was so embarra.s.sed she had turned towards her boyfriend’s chest.

Watching from the shed, He Luo gripped the iron fence as she laughed, shoulders rising and falling.

“I didn’t dare to laugh out loud. I’ve repressed it so much I think I have internal injuries now.” He Luo touched Zhang Yuan’s eyelids lightly. “What did you see? Did you get pins in your eyes [did you see anything scandalous]?”

“See if I don’t catch you!”

“Where else can you run to?” He caught He Luo’s elbow.

“Are you okay?” Zhang Yuan helped her onto the backseat of one of the bikes, stroking her head.

“You’re still laughing.”

Zhang Yuan suddenly stopped talking, only gazingly deeply into He Luo’s eyes. His lips were lightly curved. The night breeze was cool, but his eyes looked like water ripples in the moonlight which warmth refused to be cooled. Embarra.s.sed, she stood up from the backseat. “Ah, let’s go. It’s lights off time.” Zhang Yuan was still quiet, only following behind her. The distance was exactly half a step.

The further she walked, the faster she went.

“Ah!” He Luo staggered, almost falling, if not for Zhang Yuan’s quick intervention to hold onto her arm.

His and her face, projected in each other’s eyes. It was so intimate, bathed under the silver moonlight. Her scattered bangs, his straight nose - both shadowed in complete darkness, inviting one to probe closer. She loved him so much that she would rather not breathe in front of him, only gaze at him as if all the happiness in the world could be antic.i.p.ated.

She had never been this courageous in her life. Without even closing her eyes, in lightning speed, she tiptoed and pecked Zhang Yuan on the lips. She was so quick that she can’t even be sure if the moist and cool sensation was from the touching of their lips or from the night dew.

The tip of their noses gently rubbed against each other, it was a cold sensation but their lips were warm. His stubble p.r.i.c.ked her but she never imagined a boy’s lips can be this soft.

Carefully, she savoured its sweet taste and smell.

[ill.u.s.tration by Adara Sanchez Anguiano]

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